2006

Highlights of 2006:

Release of Underworld Evolution, controversial statement by OSV in the Vampyre Almanac, founding of the VVC, formation of indie band “Vampire Weekend”, “Vampire of Venice” (first in a long line of similar archaeological finds) discovered, formation of Suscitatio Enterprises LLC, launch of VEWRS & AVEWRS surveys, formation of the South African Pagan Council (SAPC).

January 20: USA – The second “Underworld” movie – “Evolution” is launched. “Underworld: Evolution” is a 2006 action-vampire film directed by Len Wiseman. It is the second (chronologically, the third) installment in the Underworld series, following Underworld in 2003. The events of the film begin during the same night of the first film’s finale. In the film Selene and Michael fight to protect the future of the Corvinus bloodline from its hidden past.

The 2006 edition of the New York-based fang smith Father Sebastiaan’s publication, “the Vampyre Almanac” states on pg 22-23: “We see Ourselves [the Strigoi Vii, whose name is derived from Romanian folklore] as superior to humans. If, as Darwin claims, humans represent a higher evolutionary stage than simple primates, We represent a higher evolutionary stage than humans.” [pp. 22-23] (Source)

The Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC) is founded to develop friendly relations among the various Houses, Covens, Orders, organizations, factions and individual leaders of the vampire community. Representation on the panel is by invitation only.

New York City, New York, USA – Vampire Weekend, an American indie rock band from New York City, is formed and signed to XL Recordings. The band releases its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produces the singles “Mansard Roof”, “A-Punk”, “Oxford Comma”, and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”. The band’s most recent album, Contra, is later released in 2010. Vampire Weekend’s name is derived from lead singer Ezra Koenig’s amateur film of the same name.

UK – Two lesbian lovers, one who drank blood as part of a vampire culture, strangle and bludgeon to death a teenager with a concrete block, are arrested and later sentenced to life in prison.

USA – A company in the USA begins marketing a 2007 calendar showcasing Claux’s “the Vampire of Paris” paintings. Demand is so high that the company considers a 2008 calendar and a line of posters.

Venice, Italy – 16th-century “Vampire of Venice”: the body of a woman buried during the 16th-century, a medieval plague victim, is discovered in Venice. The woman, believed to be a female “vampire”, and accused of being a witch as well, was discovered among medieval plague victims in 2006, had her jaw forced open by a brick – an exorcism technique used on suspected vampires in Europe at the time. At the time, archeologists were investigating a 1576 mass grave of medieval plague victims.

April 26: Alberta, Canada – police find a murder scene covered in blood. The walls are covered in bloody hand prints in the blood of the victims – an Alberta couple and their eight year old son. Police arrest Jeremy Allan Steinke of Calgary, who is later convicted of the crime.

June: Suscitatio Enterprises LLC, a company formed by members of the Atlanta Vampire Alliance, conducts The Vampire & Energy Work Research Survey (VEWRS) with 379 Questions and the Advanced Vampirism & Energy Work Research Survey (AVEWRS) with 609 questions – a grand total of 988 questions for both surveys. From 2006 to 2009 a combined response total (VEWRS & AVEWRS) reaches over 1,450 surveys or over 670,000 individually answered questions; making it the largest and most in-depth research study ever conducted on the real vampire/vampyre community or subculture. The surveys are translated from English into French, Spanish, German and Russian. Many countries are represented including: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States.

June 2-5: St. Kitts & Nevis, Carribean – The Ambassadors of Cayon High (a past students organization) implements an annual youth camp under an HIV/AIDS program, geared towards providing varied opportunities for a group of current students of a lower socio-economic status to discover their true being and self-worth. Called “Camp Sanguine” and with the motto ‘With us a new chapter begins’. The venue of the Camp (2-5 June 2006) decided on for 50 students is the Violet Petty Primary School, Lodge Village, St. Kitts. It focuses on Decision Making (Choices), under the sub-theme, “Don’t follow the tide, U decide”.

June 28: USA – “Blade – the Series” is launched, based on the same characters from the iconic movie trilogy, utilizing different cast – and is canceled after just one season. (Article)

August 15: Rockport, Arkansas, USA – Nathaniel Chipps is arrested for shooting Teresa Tracy McCartney in the head. They were together in the travel trailer of a friend, also present but in another room, and they had started to argue. Chipps then shot McCartney, fled the trailer, stole a car, and high-tailed it to hide out in the home of a relative. The friend who owns the trailer calls the police, who transport the victim, but she dies from her wound. She’d been shot with a .38-calibre weapon, the type of gun that the police locate in the vicinity where they arrest Chipps after a two-hour manhunt. He goes with them without further incident and is locked up in the county jail. Chipps, 21, claims that McCartney, 35, had told him she was a vampire and wanted to suck his blood – and had thus shot her in self-defense. However, it is found that he’d taken drugs that night and was hallucinating at the time of the incident. Chipps is charged with aggravated assault and murder, according to a Caller-Times report. The case goes to trial and, with a murder conviction, Chipps faces 99 years, but a jury finds him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. He is sentenced to 20 years in prison and a fine of $10,000.

November 7: Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA – A man who allegedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl is revealed to have first convinced her he was part werewolf and part vampire. Kristian Allen Carl, 19, is later charged with statutory rape after he admits having sex with the girl at a friend’s apartment in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Carl also is also claimed to have tried to persuade police he was some kind of paranormal crossbreed. “He convinced himself he was a hybrid — a combination werewolf and vampire,” police Sergeant James Joos is quoted in the Houston Chronicle as saying. Carl insists he has a “guardian dragon that protects him from evildoers” and presents his “canine teeth” to police as proof his was part werewolf. Sgt Joos is unimpressed and informs Carl that “all mammals — including humans — have canine teeth”. Carl admits to police he met the girl two nights before the alleged assault and was aware of her age. The girl had earlier claimed Carl was her boyfriend. He is released on a $25,000 bail.

December 21: South Africa – The first South African Pagan Council founding meeting is held – LV Martin, Morgause Fonteléve, Enmarie Potgieter and Damon Leff as founding members – the SAPC is Chartered.